Photograph by: GLENN BAGLO
, Vancouver Sun

METRO VANCOUVER -- Don Alder softly strums his acoustic guitar while sitting in his office at the Rick Hansen Foundation. One long thumbnail catches the guitar strings and the palms of his hands bounce off the instrument’s body, creating the illusion of being accompanied by a full band, complete with drums and bass.

“Because I didn’t have any guidance, I didn’t know the rules or anything, I just broke off and started doing my own thing,” Alder says, describing how he developed his style. “I just started breaking all the rules, and nobody was going to tell me I couldn’t do different ... I just played for me, and it ended up giving me my own voice on guitar.”

Alder’s unique fingerpicking style has earned him a prestigious title. He’s the only guitarist in the world to win three major guitar competitions: the 2007 International Fingerstyle Championships, the 2010 Guitar Superstar Competition and 2011’s Guitar Idol III, accolades which he attributes to the encouragement of his lifelong friend, Rick Hansen.

Alder remembers when Hansen sat him down and said “Donny ... you should be the first to know that a lot of times people don’t pursue their dreams because of fear of failure, and failure is just not having the courage to try.”

Hansen’s encouragement and determination have inspired Alder throughout more than three decades of friendship. As Alder’s guitar playing reverberates off the computer gear and recording equipment in his office, he explains how Hansen became his “blood brother” when he helped Alder improve at basketball when they were teenagers.

But the subtle smile Alder wears throughout our conversation fades as he describes the day he and Hansen hitchhiked their way back from a fishing trip in Bellacoola. They were picked up by a driver who offered them the cramped space in the bed of his pickup truck. After travelling a couple hundred miles, Alder asked Hansen to switch spots with him, as one spot was more comfortable than the other. Little did Alder know the switch determined that he would be thrown free of the vehicle — and out of harm’s way — when the driver lost control, while Hansen would be crushed underneath the truck when it rolled over.

“I walked away and he didn’t,” says Alder, recalling the horrific accident. “I was looking for Rick and couldn’t find him, and all of a sudden I saw a hand come out of this little pile of stuff … so I went back and kind of dug him out. It was a terrifying moment.”

Since then, Alder and Hansen have remained close, and even sent letters back and forth while Hansen recovered in hospital. Alder was one of the original members of Hansen’s team for the Man in Motion tour, and now he helps Hansen distribute photos and video messages across the globe in his role as media asset manager for the Rick Hansen Foundation.

For all of his achievements, Hansen is quick to point out that Alder’s story is equally inspiring.

“It shows that everyone can play a role,” he said in an interview last week. “You don’t always have to be a leader. You can be a team member and put your shoulder to the wheel, and we can achieve amazing things.”

While Alder was selected as one of 6,000 “difference makers” who are currently retracing Hansen’s original trek across Canada, in keeping with his modest style, he gave up his spot to someone he thought was more deserving.

Singer/songwriter Yvonne McSkimming will be tracing the relay in Alder’s place after raising approximately $2 million dollars for various charities over the past 10 years through her monthly performance showcase events.

“The night that I passed it over to her felt really good. It felt like the right thing to do,” says Alder.

Though he will have a presence in the 25th anniversary celebrations. He will perform at the May 22 closing celebration at Vancouver’s PNE.

10:30 a.m.: The Thermal Drive relay segment begins at Mohawk Avenue and Thermal Drive in Coquitlam. Rick Hansen will wheel with relay participants up Thermal Drive Hill, the steepest grade of the original tour. An event will be held at 11 a.m. at the summit of the climb, at Thermal and Seymour drives. Scheduled to attend are: Minister of Canadian Heritage James Moore; Burnaby North MLA Richard Lee; Coquitlam Mayor Richard Stewart; and Port Moody Mayor Mike Clay.

5 p.m.: End of day celebration at the Burnaby Village Museum, 6501 Deer Lake Ave. The celebration will begin at 5 p.m. when the relay reaches the museum. Among those scheduled to attend are Hansen, MLA Kathy Corrigan and the final medal-bearer, Monica Gartner, a member of the Canadian Wheelchair Dance Academy who advises the City of Burnaby on accessibility.

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